


Choice

by metarudogu



Category: Ai no Kusabi
Genre: Explicit Language, M/M, ai no kusabi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-01-23 12:56:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21320533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metarudogu/pseuds/metarudogu
Summary: At the end of one year Iason concocts Riki's entrapment and issues his ultimatum, or as the Blondie puts it, he gives Riki a choice.A re-writing of the iconic scene where the Blondie showcases more authority than what we see in the Anime and novel or what this author figures to be more dramatic.
Relationships: Iason Mink/Riki
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

The Blondie standing there suddenly as if he just blinked and then a fucking Blondie appeared.

All so white he sparkled, so new and his hair so clean. He fucking didn't belong in this Mongrel space. Not in Ceres, a fucking Blondie from Parthia, actually coming into Ceres where he had no business, and had not the slightest, tiniest amount of interest, getting his white boots, his Blondie uniform and long hair dirtied by the air of the Slum.

"Riki."

The voice was real. Real! 

Riki stood frozen. He couldn't even make turn his head. Closing his eyes and opening them again, the terror stood there.

Real!

"Riki," Iason's blue eyes were laser sights locked on him.

"Fuck out of here!" his jaw unclenched and he blurted out, 

"How good to see you."

"You're not supposed to be here!" his voice was not a roar but a thready rasp. "You let me go!"

"Exactly a year ago, and twenty hours*," Iason took a step forward, pass the threshold and the door closed behind him with a hiss.

"You let me go!" Riki felt his heart hammering, the terror freezing his limbs so he couldn't move them.

Iason took another step, the imposing height and the impossible beauty of his unchanging face, the Tanagura insignia on his uniform*; everything about the Blondie screamed how different he was and how he couldn't belong in Ceres. "I gave you a year."

"A year? What? I have nothing to do with you!"

The Android was an imitation of a man, his skin was not human, his expression was horrifying like now, the corners of his mouth moved slowly to form the smile that Riki had learnt to fear. It was the smile which meant something was on, something was going to happen and he was always at the wrong end of the fucking stick! 

"You will return to me."

"No!" Riki quaked, his legs were shaking. "No. This can't be. You don't want anything to do with me. That's why you let me go."

"I have let you go to experience what it is without a Master."

Riki was dumb, his snapped his mouth shut. He couldn't believe what Iason just said. "I don't have a Master," he spat. 

"You will have known by now you do not belong here."

Iason was real, standing inside his room, inside his space! "I'm a Mongrel, this is Ceres, I belong here. You, fucking Blondie, you don't belong here!"

"Everything, even this detritus of a rebellion belongs to Tanagura," Iason corrected him patiently, the same Android voice.

"So why go through all that trouble, you could walk in here any time and grab me like the way you did before," he sneered with courage he didn't have.

Iason lowered his lids a little, his smile widened like he enjoyed some private joke Riki didn't know about. "Indeed, what crassness that would be, the work the security will have with a fighting and screaming Mongrel. Why should a Blondie stoop to the level of gutter trash when there so many other ways to make a dog heel."

"I will never go back!" Riki seethed.

"My show of magnanimity Rik. It will be your choice."

And everything came crashing down, the reality of the situation: Guy and everyone in Bison, locked up in the Midas Police Station. This was Iason's big idea to trap him. All this time he had been wringing his hands, looking for the little rat, trying to find a way to work a deal and get Guy out. He knew the long shadow cast by Tanagura, the Blondie's hand coming for him.

Riki's head was exploding with the amount of tension building up, the tightness in his throat squeezing the air from his lungs, he could hardly breath. "Don't give me that shit! Telling me about choice, holding a gun to my head!"

"Nobody is doing anything to you."

"Bison and Guy, you're the one, you-"

"Why should they matter?" Iason's blue eyes narrowed. "You are presented a clear choice," his voice lowered as he continued. "Katze spoke too much already."

Katze, the name left a bad taste in his mouth. "Fucking bastard sold me out!"

"To think he is willing to risk my ire."

"Risk what! You had him to take out Bison, tricked us-"

"You went to him and he told you everything. Can that be considered trickery when you can see it plainly," Iason gave a short laugh. "Mongrels are oft known to go out on a limb for their compatriot although for one so changed in disposition, I wonder. You are special in his regard."

"I don't know what you're saying. All your Elite trash talk," he was shaking and in terror. 

Why? Why had Iason bothered to let him go in the first place? "Why be bothered with a Mongrel? Why the fuck me? You tell me!"

"You are, and you will always be, My Pet."

"I am not your Pet any more! You let me go!" he was grasping at nothing, pouring cold sweat.

Iason's large gloved hands moved, slipping under his flowing robe where Riki knew, his Blondie coat pocket was. He retrieved a flat case, holding it between his fingers and Riki almost went crazy because he recognised the case. It contained his Pet ring, the dreaded, fucking ring! "You wanted so much to taste that illusion of freedom, of the old way, that bitterness which you swore to leave behind. So I had let you," Iason took another step forward so close now Riki could smell the Blondie fragrance, those expensive bath soap and body oils, useless shit an Android wouldn't need. "You should have had your fill by now. It is time to return."

"No, I want nothing to do with you!" No! his body shook, he finally moved, staggered a step back.

"Do you think so? You are lying to yourself Riki," Iason's cold voice lowered. "Would you need time to think then?"

"What are you going to do with Bison? That's what I want to know," Riki lashed out, trying desperately to take control of his flayed mind.

"Oh, the Mongrels?" Iason slowly slipped the case back into his pocket.

"Stop pretending you don't know what you did!"

"Stealing academy grade Pets from a Mistral auction, the Police knows what to do with these. Perhaps send them to Scabio* penitentiary for hard labour," Iason gave Riki a pointed meaningful look. "Or do you prefer the organ farm? Or perhaps the more vital one, that one you called Guy, he can be made into a Sex Doll. We always have orders for them, especially if they are sturdy for extended usage by those off world planet clients."

"No!!" Riki was horrified, his insides were roiling and the surge of bile came up to his mouth, he almost retched. "You can't do that!"

"I certainly am not doing that."

"Let them go," Riki curled his hands into fists. "Just let them go then!"

"Katze told you clearly, you are not so dense, are you Riki," Iason huffed a sound of amusement. "The choice is all yours."

"This is not- there is no choice, you fucker!"

"What happens to these Mongrels is entirely up to you," Iason turned slightly getting ready to leave. 

Riki couldn't even open his mouth to make a sound because if he had, he would probably had screamed or cried, or retched his guts out. He could only watch the Blondie take his two steps and the door opened.

"I shall give you another twelve hours, the choice is yours," Iason's blue eyes glinted in the white corridor light. "You shall return to me of your own free will Riki."

The door slid close.

Riki crumpled to the floor, a trembling and shaking mess. The horrors and tension had leeched all his strength, his head thudded with pure terror and he remembered clearly Katze's warnings and advice which he had ultimately not listened to because Guy and the rest were so willing to step in to Kirie's trap.

Take off, never return! His mind screamed. Go as far away, out of Ceres, never return as Katze said.

What kind of fucking coward would he be to abandon Guy and his friends... Riki felt tears come to his eyes. He knew he could never do that.


	2. His Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riki exhausted of all options, puts his pride on the line and makes his choice.

The fuck it did to think of ways to get out of a circuit*. There just wasn't any except to crash and burn. He didn't care about himself at this point but how about the others? Guy and the gang, stuck in the Mistral Police cell, slapped with some bogus sentence or taken out and made into whatever the Blondie wanted... 

He didn't want to but he could hear the fucker's cold voice every time he hit the wall; there was no way out! Who could he turn to for help? Nobody! 

When the deal fell through and he was the only let off from the station, he had gone straight to look for Kirie but nobody had seen the rat all through Midas' bars, his new hangouts where the Off-Boys* were waiting or the dirty Speed Pill* dens, all the places he had been blowing credits. 

But what was he thinking? Beat the little rat? Pull credits from his ass to make bribes? There was no way to break a Blondie's deal, the police would never take his word against the fucking Kingpin of Tanagura. 

There was no way out... Unless he crashed out like Katze said, take off, never look back. Forget the whole prideful ego talk. What fucked up friendship? Fucking shit heads, who did it to them except themselves! 

Tanagura A.I.'s had played his hand and it was one lousy game since his henchman was so ready to sell him out. It was shocking to know Iason had not expected Katze to give all those warnings. Despite all that, even with a losing spread the Blondie had won.

Now the time was winding down and he had tortured himself enough. All through the whole sleepless night, his mind slowly gong to shit with rage blaming the Blondie and Katze. Blaming the rat. Blaming Guy and each and everyone in Bison who argued about taking the risk, to go with it and make the credits, think of consequences later. And finally, he knew he couldn't escape from it, he was the one who connected all these harmless little dots and made this a huge shit load of a disaster.

His Mongrel pride was all he owned, it was barely intact when he returned to Ceres. And now it was making him walk his legs back into the Blondie's cell.

Riki got his ass to the Mistral Warehouse* where he was expected, Iason already knew the results so well. He was taken to the quiet smoking corner by Hale, the new boy.

"Boss, Riki's here," Hale said, his eyes curious.

Katze nodded slightly. 

Hale gave Riki a cursory glance and left without question, well trained and on his way to be a drone like the rest of the syndicate. Katze didn't give him any greeting. "Iason said to expect you."

"Yeah?" one word and it yanked up his full anger. "Why not you beat me on the head and turn me into some idiot before we fuck our way to your Blondie."

The boss wasn't bothered, he continued at his own pace. "He said to ask you for an answer."

Riki clenched his jaw, his fists were curled too tight. "I'll talk to the fucker." 

Katze snubbed his cig and raised his right hand to access the wrist comm. The call was answered immediately and the holo image of Iason came on, crisp almost like he really was here.

"Riki."

Riki froze. His limbs refused to move, his thundering heart skipped a painful best.

"Your answer." 

He grind his teeth, eyes getting blurry. "Let Guy and Bison go."

Iason's face remained totally blank as if he expected more.

"What the fuck do you want?" Riki's voice was strained thin. "You want me to say please?"

"It has been proven again and again," Iason said softly, too gently. "Although to see it again, is something else. Mongrel pride is indeed an elixir of the finest make."

"Fuck you Blondie!" Riki squeezed his eyes tight. 

"It is not so much hardship as you think Riki, you will return now," as if noticing Katze for the first time the Blondie said. "My Saloon will be there presently."

Katze bowed slightly. 

"Have the Police release the Mongrels."

"I understand."

With one more penetrating stare at Riki the Blondie cut the call. 

Seeing Iason shredded the last of his desperate hopes for some miracle to happen or some shit to divert the downward momentum of a knife aimed to his heart. By now Riki no longer felt the impending horror. He was numbed, caught in a state of disbelief. 

He, Riki the Dark, actually willingly go back to being the Blondie's slave. He had sealed his fate by going right back into the den of terror... One year of doing crap, looking over his shoulders, suspecting he had not escaped. He had wasted all the time smearing himself in dirt, getting drunk on stout and self pity. 

He roused himself, only one small nagging irritation remained. "What happened to Kirie?"

"He's been repurposed," Katze said.

Riki noticed the gold slits were not cold for the first time. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what you're thinking, you're smarter than that," Katze's baritone was cool.

"Yeah? You fucked me over for the Blondie!" His words were half hearted at best.

Katze's face hardened visibly. "Tanagura worked up for a Mongrel, you can't take it with something more?"

"Like what?" He scowled. "Guy and my people locked up, you telling me to beat it?"

"I've said enough," Katze snubbed his smoke.

"Yeah, thanks for your brilliant advice, if I'd wanted to sell out everyone, be a spineless dick head, I'll look for you."

Katze turned and stood his back to Riki, eerie and still as an Android for a long moment. Then he had taken out a new stick of cig, lit it with his usual grace and started smoking. "I don't know what's the deal between you and Iason."

Riki wanted to shout or make an ugly disgusted sound but there was something about Katze, the air was charged as if one false move there would be a fatal discharge. He couldn't speak or move.

"If he's doing all this, even risking his reputation as the First Blondie then it must mean something for him. You should shut your mouth and start thinking about that," Katze blew a plume of smoke, nothing hurried about his movements as he tapped out ash and put the stick back to his mouth, the cig glowed. "Who has your best interest in mind? I don't think your pals appreciate you much if they're so willing to throw themselves into the pit even when you tried to stop them."

Riki felt the dark hot anger being pressed down, choked in his throat, his whole vision shaking and turning red. Not because he wanted to murder Katze but because of this impotence, this helplessness, he couldn't see any more options. He was a drowning rat in oil, one tiny flame and he wonder whether it'd be the drowning or being burnt was the way out of this sick mess.

"The Saloon* is here," Katze snubbed his cig, he started walking without a backward glance or another word.

Riki was led through security doors and empty passageways, all cleared beforehand. They came out through a side door and the black Saloon was there, waiting. 

The door slid open and Riki suck in a breath, relieved the fucker was not inside. He got in without looking at Katze and the door closed silently.

It was the beginning of the end... If there was an end. Riki shut his eyes tight. He wouldn't cry and give any satisfaction to the fucker! No matter what happened, at least Guy and the rest of Bison would continue as they were without being touched by this filth, this horror. 

Arc 3 Riki (1D) 6 Oct 2019*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to post the subsequent chapter to complete this part and make it a standalone block. 
> 
> Please note (*) for non-canon conforming terms:  
1) circuit / refers to the bike circuit, Riki and gang are bike aficionado  
2) Off-Boy. Speed Pills / Vices  
3) Mistral Warehouse / Katze's place, inferred from the OVA  
4) Hale / OC, Katze's minions  
5) Saloon / the Blondie's vehicle

**Author's Note:**

> -Non-Canon. Hence note the (*) for made-up terms and timeline reference.  
-This AnK is based on the Anime, all character references are from the Anime.  
-I have not really read the novels.  
-This is a fic pulled out from a series I have been working for longer than I can imagine. It can be treated as a standalone piece.  
Arc 3 Riki (4) 10 Oct 2019


End file.
